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Scale

The Universal Laws of Life and Death in Organisms, Cities and Companies

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Scale

By: Geoffrey West
Narrated by: Bruce Mann
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Geoffrey West's research centres on a quest to find unifying principles and patterns connecting everything, from cells and ecosystems to cities, social networks and businesses.

'An absolutely riveting read . . . groundbreaking' Marcus du Sautoy

'This book will expand your thinking from three dimensions to four' Nassim Nicholas Taleb

'Scale is a firework display of popular science' Niall Ferguson

'This is an important and original book, of immense scope' Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal

Scale addresses big, urgent questions about global sustainability, population explosion, urbanization, ageing, cancer, human lifespans and the increasing pace of life, but also encourages us to question the world around us. Why can we live for 120 years but not for a thousand? Why does the pace of life continually increase? Why do mice live for just two or three years and elephants for up to 75? Why do companies behave like mice, and are they all destined to die? Do cities, companies and human beings have natural, pre-determined lifespans? Are we just a fascinating experiment in natural selection that is ultimately doomed to fail? And what is the origin of the magic number 4 that seems to determine much of physiology and life-history from birth to death?

Read by Bruce Mann

(p) 2017 Penguin Random House©2017 Geoffrey West Biological Sciences Biology Business Development Business Development & Entrepreneurship Science Sociology Urban Business Sustainability Ecosystem Capitalism
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Critic Reviews

'The sort of big-ideas book that comes along only every few years . . . This is a book full of thrilling ideas'
'Magisterial . . . you reach the end of this profound, revealing book rewarded. West shows how scientific method helps to peel back the hidden reality of our world. The concepts of physics dominated the last century. It is the concepts of biology - of networks, evolution and feedback dynamics - that are going to dominate the next' (Matthew Syed)
'Quite dazzling . . . The book proceeds by introducing one mathematical concept in each chapter (power laws, fractals and so on), and explaining it vividly through numerous examples drawn from biology, history, urban planning, and many other fields . . . written with great joy and a disarming humility' (Steven Poole)
'An absolutely riveting read. Like the best detective story, West lays out the amazing challenge of understanding why animals, cities and companies all scale so uniformly and then skilfully lets us into the secrets that his detective work has uncovered. This book captures the spirit of science in the twenty-first century, revealing the deep connections not just across physics and biology but society and life. The book is a perfect balance between the big scientific story and West's own personal narrative. We accompany the author on his quest to face up to his own mortality while at the same time being exposed to the theoretical discoveries that West has pioneered in his groundbreaking work' (Marcus du Sautoy, Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University and author of The Great Unknown )
'This is an important and original book, of immense scope. Geoffrey West is a polymath, whose insights range over physics, biology and the social sciences. He shows that the sizes, shapes and lifetimes of living things - despite their amazing diversity - display surprising correlations and patterns, and that these follow from basic physical principles. He then discovers, more surprisingly, the emergence of similar 'scaling laws' in human societies - in our cities, companies and social networks. This fascinating book deserves a very wide readership' (Lord Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal)
'Scaling is the most important yet most hidden and rarely discussed attribute -- without understanding it one cannot possibly understand the world. This book will expand your thinking from three dimensions to four. Get two copies, just in case you lose one' (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)
All stars
Most relevant
Fairly good book on the topic although a bit long winded. Has some interesting insights.

Quite a good book

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Appreciated West's dedication to grounding his theories in a framework, in contrast to much oversimplistic popular science. West explains existing knowledge and beckons us to consider new ones, turning to sustainability at the end of the book as something of a call to action for polymaths.

The narration was typical of such non fiction: in my opinion too dry.

Comprehensive and thought provoking for quants

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Deep insights into the patterns and beautiful simplicity of life, the universe and everything. Mr West elegantly and accessibly reveals the simplicity hiding beneath the vast complexity both within and without us. Congratulations on such a extensive feat of imagination, intellect and collaboration. A richly enjoyable, informative and entertaining journey; So good, I’ll read it twice! ;)

Insightful, elegant and enthralling

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amaxing insights into the complex world around us.

also asks big questions of society and where we are going and if it is sustainable.

definitely recommend everyone read this book!

Fantastic book, real insights and big questions

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So long winded and delivered in a painfully haughty manner. He likes physicists and drawing a line through data, all so we can save the world of course. The biology insights were almost interesting but the analysis on cities and companies was almost impossible to endure.

Excruciatingly boring

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